Machine for closing cardboard and the like boxes



W. E. WALMSLEY.

MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARDBOARD AND THE LIKE BOXES- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1922.

1,438,675. Patented Dec.12,1922

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WIFEEEES Ve Fur I ig I W H WM W Y W 'W EEEEEE W. E. WALMSLEY.

MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARDBOARD AND THE LIKE BOXES.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB-3,1922.

1,438,675 Patented Dec.12', 1922..

3 $HEETS-SHEET 2,.

f Fig.2.

N. MJ.

W. E. WALMSLEY.

MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARDBOARD AND THE LIKE BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1922.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3,.

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ruiiorrinn non CLOSING CARDBOAR AND THE LIKE noxns Application filed February 3, 1922. SeriaLNo. 533,789;

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, illman EDWARD folding over or elosingthe end flaps of cartons or collapsible cardboard boxes such machine having been especially designed to close the end flaps oit cardboardvboxes having overlapping countersunk ends j though with slight modificationsit can be used for closing the ends of other boxes as well;

According to the present. invention a main operating crank shaft is providedwith a plurality of cams adapted to-operate a pair of hinged abutments in predetermined sequence to one another which abutments operate on a box end held in the machine and cooperate with a. pair of axially movable abutments adaptedto fold in the side flaps at the end of thebox. i

here the machine is designed to operate on a countersunk box-end, it is preferred to provide that the main hingedabutinents are capable of moving about two virtual centres, a preliminary centre coinciding with the edge of the bottom of thebox, and a second centre substantially coinciding with the interior creased edge of the countersunk bottom of the box. This may :be obtained by forming the hinged abutments with aslidi'ng face plate controlled by spring ornthe like elastic pressure. i a

It is preferred to operate the gripping means for the box, carton or blank, when in the machine "from the same main operating crank so that this is brought into operation previous to the functioning of any of the folding devices and is only released subsequent to the completion; of Operations oi? this device. i i i i Tllhis invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompany ing drawings in which:]

Figure 1 is an outside side view. o'l one form of construction of the machine. Figure 2 is a correspondingirout elevation with the crank'handle removed.

Figure dis a sectional side view corresponding to Fig. 1. f

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 aredetailviews.

The operating crank shaft 1, driven by power or by hand crank handlesuch asj2, is'

providedwith a number of operatii'ig cams 6 5. These cams maybe in the form of cam discs as shownor may bem the, iform of camgrooves as desired. It is preferred to use cam discs as shown, co-operating with return springs but 1f cam grooves areused it is preferred tofinterpose spring connections in thedrivethereforto compensate for slight inaccuracies in workmanshipof the parts and to provide for some elasticity of operations. i c a 1 The shaftl is mounted in the side plate 6, of a framew'i, adapted to be screwed or otherwise mounted on a suitable base. This frame 7, has a pivot8.,' for a lever 9, the

operating face 10, of which serves to clamp the inner side of the carton 11, againstthe plate 12, ofthe machine to hol dthe carton ll, securely in itspredeter mined" position during operation upon its end by the folding device. The arm 13, on the lever 9, is pro vided with a stud let adapted to be locked in any position by rotation about its axis by means of a set screw 15. This stud 1 1-, cara rice an eccentric pin 16, cO operating with the end 1.7 ofa plate 18, sliding in a guide 19 on the frame of the machine. The stud let, is extended as shown to form a connection with the return spring 20 the free end i f ofwhich is attached to the frame of the machine as at 21. The pin22 on the upper endofthe plate 18, will consequently be held by the spring 20, in contact with the operative came, on the shaft 1" and this cam is so disposed. on' the shaft that it is the first earn to come into operation and. further can either havea contour. concentric with the shaft 1, for a period overlapping thevperiogl of any of the other operative camsor, al ternately, as shown can serve to depress the plate 18, vinto operative position whereupon this plate is locked by reason oi? a locking pin 23', engaging with a projection on the plate 18. This pin 23 mounted on a; a

lever 25,pivoted to the fame of thc ma chine, and isbrought into operative position by a spring 26. The pin 23; is brought out of engagement with the projection 24; to release the plate 18 when the other cams have completed their operative; cycle.

A pin 27, on the arm 28,01? 'thecrank handle 2, in a clockwise rotation of this ban 'dle comesa ainst. a in 29 on the lever 25' so that if the spring 26 for anyreason has, V

wards to a predetermined extent by the pin 2'7 rubbing against the outside of pin 29; The samepm 27, on the completion ot the revolution knocks against a; pin 23" on the same lever as the pin 23 to tree this latter from engagement with. the projection to release the carton on which operations have beencompleted to allow for a fresh carton being inserted.

abase '39, mounted on pins 40 capable It will be noticed that the pins 23, 23, 2'7 and 29 are provided with" eccentric surfaces so that Thy rotating them about their axis,

they can be adjusted for wear.

Afterthecarton has"been held by means ofthe lever 9, further rotation'ol the clockwise handle 2; brings the cam 4:, into'engagement with the roller 30 on a pivoted olever'illfthe end 32, ot which engages with apin 33,,having an eccentric surface to allow for adjustment This pin 33,'is mounted on a rack bar 34-,' which is raised against a tension spring "35 andhas rack teeth 36 at its upper'endengaging with a pinion 37 on the axis of which is mounted an abutment or folding bracket 88. This bracket 38, ha?

sliding in slots inthe bracket38 (Fig. 7) against the action of a spring all The ob ject of this can be seeni'rom Fig. lias it will be noticed that the carton 11, when inserted in position in the machine lies with the upper edge of its inner side coincident with the axis otrotation of the "folder bracket 38. The end face oiithe carton therefore will be folded round its hinge-line until the ct ge 4:52 of thebase 39 reaches the hinge-line -i3 of the carton flap. It will then be seen that further folding takes place about this line as a hinge-axis and to allow torthis the base '39 has the resilient connections above mentioned with its operative abutment 38.

The base 39 then 'hinging round the line 4&3, in returning after folding has taken place, will not tend to lift out the outermost flap 44 of the box ends 4 a As soon as the abutinentBS has returned to its original position being freefrom its operative-cam 4, the cam 3, will have come into contact with the end 45, oi? a beam 4.6. and will innnediately afterwards also come into contact with the end '47 'ot' abeam 41-8 so that these two are prac11 ally-operated simultaneously. llach of them bears at its j ectively ota pair of small'levers 5-1., pivoted atfill tii the side of the frame, the opposite ends-of these short levers engaging "the arms "543 M he'll crank lever-shaving hook fingers "55, and moving these levels about their pivots against the action of springs '56. "These I hook' fin'gers 55, engagethe side flaps 57 of the box and tu'rn'the'se in Fig.6;

i glitter 'ithefh'ook fingers have returned ease/5 frame, Whoseifreeend 59 bears against an adjustable cam pin 60 on the rack bar 61 and ll'lOVGSailhlS down agalnst the action of a spring 62, consequently turning the pinlon wheel 63 about the'axis of which the abutn1ent'64l is pivoted having a plate 65 capable of motion relatively to it against a spring 66, Fig. 6'in similar manner {to the plate 38ah'eady described, This completes the closing of the'box and as shown by Fig.6;

In certain casesit will be desirable to gum the flap of the front side base piece forming the countersunk end. This may be effected automatically by the hinged abutment '38. The abutment 38 will thenin its passage move against a plate 67 pivoted at 68 to a bracket'carrying a gum trough69 so that as the front side base-piece 70 of the box is pressed down by the plate 39 and its flap la is brought againstthe gum roller Y752 and pressed against this roller by thecnd T4 of the pivoted plate 67. A guard just below the gum roller is provided'to prevent the back side piece of the carton 45, from coming into contact with the said gum roller. As the pinion 37 rotates it carries with it a cam segment T 6 which moves against an adjustable cam pin'77 on a "finger '78 which supports the axis of the :gummed roller 72 and allows thisto swing about a pivot 79. The joint between the gum'roller 72 and the opening in tl1e=gu1ntrouglr69 is ordinarily maintained by spring (not shown) pressing against the gum roller. The periodic swinging oi the :gum roller 72 in its arcuate' guides against spring action allows the feeding of smallcharges of gum from the trough 69 on"to the roller.

The gum roller 72 is rotated through a small are once during each complete box closing operation by the action of apawl 8i mounted on a sleeve 83 which is loosely mounted about the axis'ot the gum roller. The sleeve 83 has two arms approximately at right angles to each other, the arm 86 carrying a loose gravity or spring con trolled pawl 84:, while the other arm 82 is rotated by a projection 8i mounted. on the rack bar Si. "Therefore it willbe seen that each upward movement of *the racklmr 34: carries the pawl 84!; against the action of :1 spring (not shown) ready to engage the ratchet teeth on the :gum roller and when the rack bar 34- falls itiallows the :gum roller tobe fed round by the return spring-topmaeaevs 3. A machine for closing cardboard box ends, comprising in combination means to clamp the box, folding abutments engaging flaps forming the ends of the box consecutively, a rotary shaft, a crank rotating said shaft, cams on said shaft to operate said folding means in sequence.

4. A machine for closing cardboard box ends comp-rising in combination spring clamping means for the box, folding abutments engaging flaps forming the ends of the box consecutively, a rotary shaft, a crank rotating said shaft, cams on said shaft to operate said. folding means in sequence.

5. A machine for closing cardboard box ends comprising in combination spring clamping means for the box, folding abutments engaging flaps forming the ends of the box consecutively, a moving shaft cams on said shaft to operate said folding means consecutively, and means to apply adhesive automatically to a flap in the course of folding.

6. A machine for closing the ends of cardboard boxes including a folding abutment engaging the closing flap of the box, means to turn said abutment about an axis coinoident with the edge of the box and means to displace the operative part of said abutment relatively to a line displaced from but parallel with said edge.

7. A machine for folding cardboard box ends comprising means to temporarily clamp the box in position, means to swing the fold ing abutment about the lower edge of the box, means to displace said abutment in its own plane on further rotation about said edge.

8. A machine for closing the ends of cardboard boxes comprising means to clamp the box in the machine, folding abut-merits adapted toengage with the flaps of said box, hinge pivots carrying said folding abutments and coaxial with the lower edges of said box and folding flaps on said folding abutments capable of sliding relatively thereto.

9. A machine for closing the ends of cardboard boxes comprising means to clamp the box in the machine, folding abutments adapted to engage with the flaps of said box, hinge pivots, carrying said folding abut'ments and coaxial with the lower edges of said box, folding flaps on said folding a-butments capable of sliding relatively thereto, and spring means restraining said flaps from sliding relatively to said abutments.

10. A machine for closing the ends of cardboard boxes comprising means to clamp the box in the machine, folding abutments adapted to engage with the flaps on said box, hinge pivots carrying said folding abutments and coaxial with the lower edges of said box, folding flaps on said folding abutments capable of sliding relatively thereto, spring means restraining said flaps from sliding relatively to said abutments, an operating shaft and cams on said shaft adapted to operate said abutments in sequence.

11. A machine for closing the ends of cardboard boxes comprlsing means to clamp the box in the machine, folding abutments adapted to engage with the flaps on said box, hinge pivots carrying said folding abutments and coaxial with the lower edges of said box, folding flaps on said folding abutments capable of sliding relatively thereto,

spring means restraining said flaps from sliding relatively to said abutments, an operating shaft, cams on said shaft adapted to operate said abutments in sequence and return springs: connected to said abutments to return them to initial position subsequent to operation by said cams.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 23rd day of December 1921, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM EDWARD WALMSLEY. l/Vitnesses:

J. VIoToR ARMSTRONG, JOHN MCLAOHLAN. 

